Bluffus Interruptus

There's an old poker adage that says if you never get caught bluffing, then you must not be bluffing enough. A corollary to that adage might be if your bluffs keep getting caught, then you must be doing it too often. Either way you look at it, there's no getting away from the fact that bluffs always carry the risk of getting snapped off. For many players, that's a big part of what makes bluffing so much fun-the thrill of taking that chance in order to buy a pot without the best cards.

Getting away with a bluff produces a wonderful rush, a glorious feeling, but getting caught ... not so much. But unless the would-be bluff was an especially foolhardy attempt-such as bluffing into three calling stations-there is never any reason to feel bad for trying to bluff in a poker game. The question then becomes, How do you respond when you do get caught? In the immediate sense, suppose you bluff at another player and he responds by coming over the top of you? Now what?

When this happens, a kind of fight-or-flight response sets in and now you are faced with a decision. Do you fold and surrender the pot? In doing so, you would essentially be admitting that you were on a bluff. Or do you try to perpetuate your bluff by raising yet again? The short answer to this conundrum is that unless you are very skilled and know your opponent very well, it's usually best to fold and wait for a better spot.

When you do get caught trying to bluff, that's usually a good time to switch gears and tighten up your game a bit. Getting caught in a bluff loosens your table image considerably. Even against the most brain-dead opponents, bluffing makes a big impression. Bad players might not notice much in the game, but they will remember being bluffed.

And the one undeniable benefit of getting caught in a bluff is the advertising value it brings. In short, you'll get called down more. Almost universally, poker players hate to be bluffed out of a pot. So once your opponents have seen you make a bluff attempt, don't be surprised if some of them start playing "sheriff" and call down your bets with just about anything. Exploit the situation by betting and raising for value more often. And recognize that, at least for awhile, it will be difficult for you to bluff at these players successfully.

The value of advertising is such that some players will deliberately try to get caught bluffing at the very beginning of a poker session, just to induce all those extra calls later, when holding strong hands. This ploy can be especially profitable when used against opponents who already call too often because it coaxes them into making even looser calls. But there's a caveat. This tactic, if it's used at all, should be reserved for tighter games full of reasonable players. In the loose, lower-limit games teeming with calling stations, it's a pretty useless trick-for that matter, bluffing itself is generally futile in these games.

Even in tighter games, this strategy can easily be overused. For one thing, there's no guarantee that you'll get any great hands during this session. And by pulling the "please catch me stealing so you can see what a loose aggressive player I am" stunt at the outset of the game, you've compromised your ability to buy any pots later with your lesser hands.

Never forget that the main purpose of bluffing is to win the pot. Advertising when you get caught is a side benefit, a way to make the most of a bad situation during those inevitable times when your bluff doesn't work.

Barbara Connors is a sucker for classic old movies, science fiction, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Her life's ambition is to figure out the unusual behavior patterns of that unique breed of humans who call themselves poker players. Contact her at fyreflye222@yahoo.com.